Prepare your grill with more than one heat zone. A great place to start is direct (over coals for a sear, around 1,400 degrees) and indirect (off coals, around 350 to 500 degrees. Create a light-heat area for veggies.

Look for clear smoke. When using charcoal, the best way to tell it’s ready is when you can no longer see the smoke. White smoke is the additive that should burn off before cooking.

Close your lid as much as possible. Weber grills are designed to have the best airflow with the lid closed; opening them during cooking will dry out the meat and release built-up heat, causing longer cook times.

Allow meat to rest. Whether it’s smoking or grilling, rest your meat after it’s done for a quarter of the cook time. Brisket that smokes for 12 hours should rest in a hot box for three hours before cutting. Steak that cooks for 12 minutes should rest for three minutes before cutting.

Clean your grill when it’s hot. Scrape your grate when you’re finished cooking. Then, when the grill’s still hot but not burning, clean the rest.